Communications systems currently provide end-users with the capability to receive content items made available by content servers and providers. For example, end-users can receive multimedia broadcasts, audio broadcasts, images, data files, electronic documents, and database entries from various content servers. Such content items are delivered across a wireless network to portable end-user devices. Examples of portable end-user devices include wireless telephones, wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs), and portable computers having wireless communications capabilities.
Bluetooth is a system that enables wireless communications devices to request and receive resources from servers. Bluetooth defines a short-range radio network, originally intended as a cable replacement. It can be used to create ad hoc networks of up to eight devices, where one device is referred to as a master device. The other devices are referred to as slave devices. The slave devices can communicate with the master device and with each other via the master device. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, Specification Of The Bluetooth System, Volumes 1 and 2, Core and Profiles: Version 1.1, Feb. 22, 2001, describes the principles of Bluetooth device operation and communication protocols. This document is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The devices operate in the 2.4 GHz radio band reserved for general use by Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) applications. Bluetooth devices are designed to find other Bluetooth devices within their communications range and to discover what services they offer.
Other short-range networks also exist. For example, wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as IEEE 802.11 and HIPERLAN also enable wireless communications devices to request and receive resources from servers.
In wireless environments, the location of a portable communications device may affect the type of information desired when its user makes a generic request for information. For instance, when requesting directions to a particular destination, a user would prefer the directions to be based on the user's current location.
To provide for such location-based content, a server or content provider that receives a request for content must learn the location of the requesting device. Accordingly, there is a need to provide device location information along with requests.